In 2018, nearly 100 consumers in southeast Missouri and southern Illinois reported to Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker being victimized by scam artists, with losses of more than $26,000.
About 16.8% of those scam reports regarded online purchase scams, and 11.6% were reports of debt collection scams.
Scam Tracker is a valuable tool for consumers to learn about scams happening in their neighborhoods. These scammers do not discriminate -- they’re as likely to pick a target in a small, rural community as they are someone in a big city. They simply do not care who they scam, because all they want is your money.
There were 16 online purchase scams reported in the region in 2018. These reports covered a broad range of scams: fraudsters on online auction sites, online puppy buying scams, subscription traps posing as free trial offers, and more. BBB responded by issuing in-depth investigative studies on puppy scams and free trial offers.
The biggest online purchase loss was reported by a consumer in Jackson, who contacted Scam Tracker in April to report losing $5,000 to an online business promising a large cash prize in a fitness and weight loss competition. The biggest loss reported by a consumer in the Cape Girardeau region through scam tracker in 2018 was $7,000 by a DuQuoin, Illinois consumer in a credit repair/debt relief scam.
You can access BBB’s Scam Tracker here.